After a massive fervor must have ensued (we're guessing that liquor businesses, like liquor patrons, can be quite vocal) following the New York Post's story on the Health Department's possible plan to make New Yorkers healthier by limiting their access to alcohol through fewer stores (and ads), the mayor has spoken, and, rest assured, friends -- he is not, at this moment, going to take away your right to party. The Post reports that their initial piece "drew howls of outrage from responsible drinkers and operators of liquor venues across the city" (which, one assumes, was not an unintended result of the article). Bloomberg spokesman Stu Loeser has come forth to quell those howls, saying that the mayor does not want to limit liquor businesses' depth and breadth and bread and butter, and, actually, this was just brainstorming. Calm down everyone, and take a nice, long sip of your beverage! Isn't that nice?

From Loeser, via the Post:

"One reason the mayor has been successful in office is because we think there are no bad ideas in brainstorming -- and then we weigh them against other concerns. We're deeply committed to encouraging entrepreneurs to start and expand small businesses in the city," the mayoral spokesman said.

The mayor does want those of us who binge drink and those of us who sell illegal booze to minors to stop. O.K., O.K., we get it.

Meanwhile, over at Gawker, Max Read tells us to "Shut Up About New York City's Booze 'Crackdown.'" For this, we will be buying him zero drinks. Not that we're shelling out for a round for the Post, necessarily. We have to save our cash for when the crackdown really happens.